Something in His Voice
by shmarry
Summary: Isabella Swan is use to living a semi-normal life, going to high school, hanging with friends, doing chores, but that all changes when she hears his voice echo through her thoughts - and it seems she's the only one who's able to hear him. Bella has no idea who the man behind the voice belongs to, and he isn't too keen on letting her find out anytime soon.
1. Chapter 1 - Where it Begins

**A/N**: Oh, man. This is my first time attempting to write a story on this site and I'm a bit nervous, but nevertheless excited! I've always tried to get it a go at writing, but never followed through with it. So I thought, why not? If at first you don't succeed, try again - am I right? I gotta start somewhere!

I'm not sure exactly how this story will continue on. It just depends on how my flow of writing goes. Most likely the rating will be M for content and scenes in later chapters. I'm not sure how often I will update. It may be one every couple of days or once every week. I don't have a schedule planned.

**Disclaimer:** _Everything from Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just want to play around with the characters for a bit. So no copy right infringement intended._

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**Chapter 1 - Where it Begins**

The bell rang signaling that classes were over for the day. I stuffed my binder and books into my backpack and rushed out the door. I need to be quicker today if I want to avoid the ever annoying Mike Newton. Come on people, seriously. School is over, why must you all crowd up the hallways?

"Bella, hold up!" I turned around as Alice grabbed a hold of my elbow. "You still coming over later?" I nearly rolled my eyes. It was basically a ritual for me to stay at her house on fridays.

"Yes, of course. Don't I always?" Alice simply shrugged.

"It's never a bad thing to ask! Come on, walk with me to my locker," I winced. So much for wanting to leave in a hurry. "So, what's up this weekend? LaPush? Movies? That new movie that just came out with, uh, Josh Duhamel? Yeah, that one. It looks pretty good. But then there's that party down by the beach and last time I went there was this really cute guy and … , " I sighed as Alice continued to ramble on about a hundred different things and in only a few minutes. I love the girl, but Jesus, I can only pay attention to so much. I interrupted the conversation she was having with herself.

"You know, Alice, I'm just gonna head to my locker and get out of here. I'll be at your house around five. See ya then, okay?" She smiled and nodded. We said our goodbyes and I turned to head down the opposite hallway. I quickly made it to my locker and opened it, taking out the books I needed for homework this weekend and cramming them into my backpack. I closed my locker door and let out a yelp.

"Mike, what the hell?!" My hand went up to my neck and I took in a large breath. "You scared the living shit out of me!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Mike's hands went up in defense. "I didn't mean to scare you, honest. I just wanted to catch you before you left."

"What a surprise," I muttered sarcastically. My breathing calmed down and I slung my backpack over my shoulders.

"Yah!" He either didn't catch my tone of voice or chose to ignore it. "I was wondering if you were busy tonight and if not, maybe you'd like to join me at the party down at LaPush? The weather is suppose to be the nicest it's been in weeks."

"Mike," I sighed. He looked at my expression and his smile fell.

"Or, you know, we could always go in a group. I bet Tyler and Jessica would be cool with it," He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged.

"I can't," I answered. Mike sighed and took a step back.

"Okay, maybe next time," he slowly turned to walk away. I rolled my eyes and groaned.

"Wait!" I called after him. Mike turned back around with a hopeful look on his face. "I'm staying the night with Alice, but we'll most likely be going to the party, so I suppose we could meet you there." Mike smiled widely and I could tell he was doing everything he could to stop himself from jumping up and down with excitement.

Good going, Bella. You wanted to avoid him and now look what you've done. He'll never give this up now.

"Awesome! I'll be sure to keep an eye out for you," He winked and left, disappearing out the front doors. I smacked my forehead with the palm of my hand and followed after him. The parking lot was nearly empty now. My truck stood out by it's lonesome as I walked my way towards it. I pulled out my keys from my pocket and unlocked the door, sliding my backpack to the passenger seat as I hauled myself inside.

**~ o ~**

The house was empty and I was upstairs in my room packing my bag, getting ready for the night at Alice's. I grabbed a pair of a jeans that, although a little too tight, did their wonders to make my backside look amazing, and stuffed them into the bag. That along with a plain white tee and some sleep wear. I always go for what's comfortable. Dressing in style is Alice's forte.

Done packing, I skipped downstairs to start on making sandwiches to put in the fridge for Charlie. I took out the bread and lunch meat and got to work. I made one for myself and four for Charlie, sticking them into the fridge. I wrote a quick note and placed it on the table telling him so. I headed back upstairs and to my room. Before I could make it to my bedroom door, my foot slipped and down I went.

"Unf!" My sandwich flew into the air as my hands went to brace for impact, saving myself from face planting the ground. Now lying on the floor, I groaned and rolled over onto my back. My ability to trip over absolutely nothing never seizes to amaze me. I looked over to my side and saw my sandwich scattered throughout the hall.

"That's just perfect," I sighed to myself. A male's chuckle echoed around me. I gasped and sat up.

"Hello?!" I shouted. "Charlie? Is that you?" No answer in reply. My skin began to goose bump. Charlie isn't here, he's at the station. Then…who was that? I slowly stood up and looked around me. That laugh, it was so clear. It couldn't have been Charlie's. No, this voice was different. I shuddered and crept my way downstairs.

"Jacob? Are you in here?" I waited. Still no reply. Maybe I imagined it. Yeah, that's it. But then…it sounded so real. "It's okay, It was nothing. Just a part of your imagination that's all. No one's here," I began to try and relax. I took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. But, just in case, I started walking around the house and checking every room. Relief rushed over me as I found the house to be empty, no strangers lurking in closets here.

I knew I didn't imagine that chuckle though. There's no way. And I couldn't help but to play it over and over again in my thoughts. It was deep and somewhat…pleasant. I shook my head. Get over yourself Bella, stop being ridiculous.

The phone rang and I jumped.

"Jeez, get a hold of yourself," I muttered. I calmed myself down for a second time before answering the phone. "Hello?"

"Bella!" Alice's voice shouted over the line. "Why aren't you here yet? It's nearly six and we need to get ready! You were supposed to be here an hour ago, woman." I looked at the time and mentally smacked myself.

"I'm sorry, Alice. I had to fix up something to eat for Charlie and lost track of time. I'll be there in about ten minutes," There was no need in telling her about the voice. She would just laugh and say it was all in my head. Hearing voices isn't exactly normal. It'd be better to keep this to myself.

"Alright, I'll be waiting!" Alice said goodbye and the line ended. I hung up the phone and ran, for what seemed to be the tenth time, back upstairs to get my bag. I grabbed it and made my way back down and out the front door to my truck.

As I drove towards Alice's house I couldn't help but let my thoughts wonder about that mysterious voice. There was something about it and I couldn't get it out of my head. Maybe going to LaPush is just what I need. I have to get my mind off of this.

**~ o ~**

"So, the party it is then?" Alice asked as she began going through her closet. "It'll be fun! Plus, we haven't been to one in a while, and we always go to the movies. Aha, here we go!" She threw a dress at my face without turning around.

"Alice, I'm not wearing this. You can forget that." I heard her laugh.

"That's not for you, silly, for me!" I watched as she rummaged through the racks of clothes. "Besides, I know you'll be sticking with jeans. I give up on trying to convince you otherwise, but you could at least wear a nice top," I heard her hum in thought. I lied back on her bed and waited. "Here, try these two," She handed me a pink, sequin tank top to chose from and a black, deep v-neck long sleeve. I chose the long sleeve. Alice rolled her eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"Typical. I don't even know why I bother to try and put you in cute things. I knew you would choose that one anyways," Alice tries the hardest she can to change the way I normally dress, but her numerous shopping trips and styling lessons never work in her favor. It all goes through one ear and out the other.

"Come on, let's get ready!" Alice said in her cheerful bubbly voice. We each got dressed.

Alice looked beautiful, not that she never does, in her off-the-shoulder light blue dress. Her pixie-cut black hair was styled to perfection as well as her makeup. You couldn't help but to compare her to a little fairy. Even at 4'10, she always seems to look as if she just came off the runway. I looked much plainer in comparison.

"Don't worry, you look great, Bella," Alice said to me as if reading my thoughts. I took another look at myself in the mirror. I wasn't much taller than Alice, standing at a 5'3. The shirt rode up some, seeing as it belongs to Alice. I huffed and tugged on it, but that caused the v-neck to slide down ever lower. I internally groaned, I just wasn't going to win with this one. My brown hair was left down in it's natural wavy state, flowing over my shoulders and down to the middle of my back. My makeup was only lightly done, with a bit of mascara and some blush. I had to admit I certainly looked better than usual.

"Alright, I'm ready," I told her. Alice grabbed her purse.

"Michelle, we're leaving!" Alice shouted as we made our way to the front door.

"Okay, honey, be careful," came Michelle's reply.

Alice had a bit of a rough childhood. When Alice was only a baby, her father left her and her mother for another woman, saying he wasn't able to and wasn't going to take care of a newborn child, that he had a life to live. He ran off and took whatever possessions he could, leaving her mother devastated and crushed. Tried as she might, Alice's mother wasn't able to put in her full effort into raising Alice. She grew into a deep depression and couldn't seem to find the will to live. When Alice was eight her mother took her own life. Michelle, her aunt, adopted her soon after the horrible incident and has been like a mother and sister to her since. Alice was one of the happiest and sweetest people I knew, it was hard to realize that things like this could happen to the best of us.

"We will! We won't be gone for too long, maybe a few hours," Alice told her. She opened the front door and walked out. "We're taking my car, by the way. No way am I going down there in that monster you drive," she said as she unlocked her shiny yellow Porsche.

"Hey, that's my baby you're talking about!" I tried my best to look offended. She just rolled her eyes.

"Please, Bella. That thing is a beast," she replied. I had to admit, my old Chevy wasn't in the best of conditions and it certainly was no Porsche, but I loved it. We hopped in her car.

"Let's get going," Alice said as the engine came to life. She turned up the music as we began our thirty minute drive down to LaPush.

I gazed out the window watching the scenery pass. I sighed. Hopefully this party won't be too bad and hopefully Mike will keep to himself. Maybe Jacob will be there, that will certainly make things easier. Though Jacob is a couple of years younger, he knows how to have a good time and is always fun to hang with. He's tried a number of times to get my attention and ask me out in the past, but I'm just not interesting. Sure he's handsome, but my feelings for him have never grown past friendship. And Mike, goodness, that boy never gives up.

We sat in silence and my memory brought back the sound of the man's chuckle I heard from earlier. I shuddered. Why couldn't I let it go?

Just stop thinking about it, Bella. Let's go have some fun, or at least try to.

**~ o ~**

"Hey, Bella! Over here!" I spotted Jacob waving his arms in the air. He was standing by the bon fire and holding a cup in one hand. Alice linked her arm through mine as we walked our way through the sand and towards the group of people standing near the fire.

"Looking good, ladies," Jacob winked. He grabbed a drink and passed it to me. I eyed it skeptically and he shook his head. "I promise I haven't poisoned it. It's just soda." I took a sip.

I looked around and noticed that not as many people showed up as I expected. Mike and his group were standing off to the side and I could see him waiting for his opportunity to come over. Jacob's group of friends were scattered throughout the beach and then there was another group of people that I didn't recognize. I felt Alice nudge me with her elbow.

"That's the guy I saw here last time, the one with the curly blonde hair. Super cute, huh?" I looked in the direction she was pointing in and I had to agree with her, he was extremely good looking. He was standing near the water next to a few other guys and a couple of girls. "I'm going to go say hello," Alice let go of my arm and began walking towards him and the unknown group. Angela was sitting off to the side near the fire and I walked towards her and sat down. Jacob followed my lead and sat on the other side of me. Angela wasn't my closest friend, but we've known each other through classes in school and she's always been so nice. She was definitely one of my favorite people at Forks High.

"Hi, Bella," Angela said in her regular quiet voice. "I didn't expect to see you here." I stretched my legs out in front me. It's true, though these parties can be fun, it isn't exactly my idea of having a good time. Maybe I'm just boring.

"Yeah, I just felt like getting out and doing something today," I replied. She nodded and stared into the fire. "So how are you doing? Where's Ben?" She shrugged.

"I'm alright. Ben said he didn't feel like coming and decided to stay home."

"Huh," I mumbled. Strange, Ben is usually always hanging around Angela ever since they started dating. "Well, I'm glad you were able to make it! You're much more interesting to talk to than this big lug over here." Jacob gasped next to me and clutched his shirt over his heart.

"That hurts, Bella. How could you say such a thing?" He asked, giving me an a overdramatic, wounded puppy look. His chin began to quiver and Angela giggled next to me. I merely rolled my eyes and tried not to smile. Jacob laughed and slung his arm around my shoulders.

"I haven't seen much of you lately," he said to me, "When are you gonna come by the reserve to visit? You can take a look at my newest work," Jacob's 'work' basically means cleaning up and fixing rusted engines or putting together car parts. Not the most exciting thing to do, but it's somewhat relaxing to sit and watch.

"Why, miss me already?" I teased.

"Please," Jacob scoffed. "But, seriously, you should come by sometime. Anytime you want."

"Sure," I replied. "I'll come by maybe next weekend?"

"Sounds good to me," Jacob stood up and brushed off his pants. "I'm gonna go talk to Sam for a bit. See ya 'round!" He walked away, leaving me and Angela by the fire. We sat together for a few minutes listening and watching the others.

"He's a nice guy," Angela said next to me, breaking the silence.

"Who, Jacob?" I asked. Angela nodded. "Yeah, he can be sweet when he wants to be."

"We never really talked. I'm not even sure he knows who I am," Angela shrugged. "But it doesn't really matter."

"I'm sure he does. He just has a short attention span, believe me." I drank the rest of my soda and stood up. "I'm going to head over to see what Alice is up to, want to join me?"

"Nah," Angela shook her head and stood up with me. "Thank you, but I think I'm going to go home." Something with Angela seemed to be off. She was sitting by herself to start with and she seemed to be lost in her thoughts more the most part. I frowned and touched her arm.

"Is something wrong?" I asked. Angela put on a smile which seemed a little forced.

"I'm okay, really. I'm just a little tired. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Well, If you say so, " We said our goodbyes and she left. I could tell something wasn't right. She just wasn't acting her normal cheerful self. I continued to frown in thought.

"Bella!" Alice's voice rang out. I turned and watched her walk my way by herself. I expected the guy from earlier to be hanging off her arm by now, but I looked towards the spot they were standing in and noticed they all left. Alice reached me with the widest smile on her face.

"Bella, he is the most amazing guy I have ever met," she sighed dreamily. "His name is Jasper. He is so cute and sweet and _tall_." I laughed. She sounded like a love-sick fool. "I gave him my number. I hugged him goodbye and, my God, those _arms_."

"That's wonderful, Alice!" I was genuinely happy for her. I've never seen her this excited over a guy before. We both lack experience in the dating department. Alice more so because she just knows when things won't work out. Maybe she knows it could lead to more with this one.

"If only he could've stayed longer, but he said he'd call me sometime this weekend," She let out a girlish squeal. "I'm so excited!"

"I can certainly tell," I replied laughing.

"He's just, I can't even explain," Alice sighed again, she was absolutely smitten. "And, I mean, he's a couple of years older, okay like five, but that's no big deal," I raised my eyebrows a bit at this. Then she frowned. "But he goes to Washington State University, and that's like four hours from here," Her eyebrows were drawn together as she thought this part over.

"Hey, it'll work out," she merely shrugged, "No, I'm serious. If he likes you nearly as much as you seem to like him, then everything will be okay," I hugged her around the shoulders, trying to reassure her. Her smile lifted back up and nodded.

"You're right," Alice giggled and looked behind me. "Watch out, here comes Mike." I groaned. I nearly forgot about him.

"Hey, you two!" Mike, along with Jessica and Tyler, made there way to us. "I know you said we could meet up here, but it looks like the party is dying down. Want to go down to the café and grab a late night dinner?" I looked behind him and noticed he was right. Only us five and Jacob's group were left. We weren't even here for an hour. Jeez, what a party.

"Sure, I could use a bite to eat right now," Alice answered before I could reply. I shot her a look and she shrugged.

"Great!" Mike sounded as excited as ever while Tyler looked bored and Jessica looked ready to kill us from behind him. I felt sort of bad for Jessica. I know she's had a crush on Mike for a couple of years now, but the poor guy still hasn't noticed.

"We're going to head over there now. See you when you get there!" Mike said. They turned to leave and I glared at Alice.

"What?" She whined. "I'm hungry." I shook my head, but I had to agree I was feeling a bit peckish myself.

"Alright, let's go." We walked our way through the sand and stopped to say goodbye to Jacob. I told him I'd call sometime next week to hang out and hugged him goodbye. A couple of his friends frowned at this. I was confused, but decided to shrug it off. We made our way up to the makeshift parking lot and got ready to make our way back to Forks to meet Mike and them.

**~ o ~**

"Bella, Over here!" Miked waved to us from a corner booth. Tyler and Jessica were sitting on either side of him. Alice and I made our way over and climbed in the opposite seats.

"Finally. I'm starving," Alice said as she leafed through her menu. That girl could eat anything and still remain a stick. I envied her for that. I picked up my menu and began to flip through it.

"Bella, I don't think I told you, but you look wonderful tonight," Mike said from across from me. I grimaced. Here we go. I felt Alice shake next to me in a silent laugh and I kicked her leg underneath the table.

"Thank you," I mumbled in reply. He smiled widely. Jessica gave me a death glare. The waitress walked over and wrote down our orders. I took the hamburger basket as well did Alice. We all sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes while we were waiting for our food.

"So, Bella," Mike began, "do you have any plans for the rest of the weekend?" I almost laughed out loud. The boy really knows how to get to the punch, doesn't he?

"I'm actually spending the rest of the weekend with Alice and I have some work at home that needs to be done."

"Oh…just wondering." He sighed and sat back. Another wave of silence.

I swept my hand through my hair and pulled it to come over my shoulder. I heard an intake of breath.

_That scent. _

My head shot up.

"What?" I asked.

"I didn't say anything," Mike replied, giving me an odd look.

"I could have sworn I heard someone say something," I said.

"We didn't say anything," Mike repeated. Alice nodded next to me.

"Maybe it was just your imagination," she suggested. I frowned. Then I gasped as it hit me.

I almost forgot about the mysterious laugh. And that voice…it sounded so much like it. It can't be, can it?!

I frantically turned and looked around the restaurant. The place was empty except for us.

"Bella?" Alice looked at me with worry. "Are you okay?"

It has to be the same person. They both had that deep and eerily beautiful tone. But this time he sounded almost in pain.

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

And what did he mean by 'that scent'?

"Are you sure?" Alice asked.

I was freaking out. So many question were going through my mind. Why am I hearing this voice? What's going on? Am I going crazy?

"Yeah, I'm sure," I said. I tried to put on a smile, but I don't think it worked. Alice's lips pursed.

I've never heard voices before. Why is this all of a sudden happening? But…what if this isn't a part of my imagination? What if this person is actually real? I blanched at the thought. Am I being followed? I did happen to hear him at my house when I was supposed to be alone and now here. How is it that I'm the only one that heard him?

They all continued to stare at me while I sat and frantically tried to come to some sort of conclusion.

What is this voice? Why is it speaking to me?

Who could it be?

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**End A/N:**

** And that will be it for chapter one! Sorry if it's a bit long. In case you were wondering, yes, Alice and Jasper are human. I can't say the same for the rest of the group, but this story will definitely include vampires. I don't want to give away too much of how my story is going to go, but**** here you guys have an idea of the characters so far. **

**I also know Alice's background story is a bit different, but I want it to be that way. It is my fanfic afterall. I named her aunt after mine, who recently committed suicide a month back, and would like to dedicate this to her.**

**Thank you all for reading! **

**~ Jamie**


	2. Chapter 2 - A spying glance

**A/N:** The reviews from last chapter made me amazingly happy! I'm so glad some of you enjoyed it. All of your words mean a lot and it certainly helps to keep me motivated to continue writing.

Just to put it out there, updates may be around once a week. If it happens to go on further than that, I apologize.

Also, I try to go through my chapters as best as I can to fix grammatical errors and such, but if you happen to see any, feel free to tell me! I might be going back and changing up a few things that I have written, so watch out for that too.

You all are wonderful! Thank you.

******Disclaimer:** _Everything from Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just want to play around with the characters for a bit. So no copy right infringement intended._

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**Chapter 2 - A Spying Glance**

I rolled over onto my side and tucked the covers underneath my chin. Alice's room was dark, save for the luminescence of the moonlight that snuck it's way through her window. Shadows danced along the walls as the clouds moved across the sky. Alice lied next to me, sprawled out across the bed. I couldn't sleep with her endless tossing and turning. Well, that and the memory of what happened at the café kept me awake.

Alice worried non-stop for the rest of the day after my freak-out episode. I convinced her that it was nothing and I was just tired, blaming all my weird actions on lack of sleep. I'm sure she had trouble believing it. She just knows. Well, that and the fact that I'm an awful liar.

Earlier, after we finished eating, we quickly said goodbye to Mike - who looked rather upset about how the day had turned out - and Jessica and Tyler, we headed back to Alice's house. The time spent at the little café was nothing but awkward. Alice continued to grill me hours later about the incident, but she finally dropped it, seeing as I wasn't changing my story. For the rest of our time together I got to listen to her talk non-stop about Jasper and how perfect he was. She went on and on about his looks, his accent, his smile, heck, even the way he smelt. That girl was definitely falling fast. I actually couldn't wait to meet him myself.

I curled my legs up towards my chest and sighed.

'That scent.'

Those two words were beginning to haunt me. A part of me was fearful of what or who could be behind that voice while another part of me wished to hear it again. I was curious. I needed to know that it was real, that I wasn't going crazy.

I snuggled deeper into my pillow and let sleep overtake me, drifting in and out of dreams.

**~ o ~**

I awoke to the smell of bacon and my stomach rumbled. I laughed as I looked over at Alice, who was still asleep next to me, nearly falling off the side of the bed.

"Girls, breakfast!" Michelle shouted from downstairs. I watched as Alice's eyes shot open. She jumped up out of bed and ran out of the room so quickly that I could barely register it happening. I sat up, stretched out my arms and yawned. Deciding to get dressed later, I followed Alice to the kitchen, still wearing my pajamas. Her and Michelle were both sitting at the table munching on their eggs and bacon. I grabbed my plate left on the counter for me and piled on some food before sitting next to Alice.

"Good morning, Bella," Michelle greeted with a smile.

"'Morning," I replied after swallowing a bite of bacon. "Thank you for the breakfast, it tastes great," I added.

"I'm surprised she was even up this early to make it," Alice teased.

"Oh, is that so? You better watch out, missy, next time I might accidentally forget to make your share of food," Michelle playfully glared at her.

"You wouldn't dare!" Alice said with a feign of shock. I just shook my head and laughed at their antics. We continued to eat and finish our breakfasts. Once we were finished, Michelle stood up and grabbed our plates. I offered to clean them myself, but she waved me off with her hand. Alice all of a sudden giggled next to me.

"Michelle, you're looking extra spiffy today," she commented. I looked over and noticed it was true. Michelle had her brown and blonde highlighted hair down and curled. She was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a flowing purple top. "Any certain reason? Is today a special occasion?"Alice's eyes twinkled and she giggled again as Michelle blushed.

"Alice," she warned as her eyes narrowed.

"What?" Alice asked teasingly. She looked over me. "Michelle has a lunch date today," she explained.

"Aww," I smiled. "With who?

"A guy she met at the grocery store, his name is David," Alice sang out the name David and fluttered her eyelashes. Michelle let out an exasperated noise and rolled her eyes.

"All right, that's enough with you," Michelle said. She picked up her purse from the counter. "I'll be back later this afternoon, and you," she gave a pointed look towards Alice, "behave yourself. Bella, call me if Alice gets out of hand." Alice scoffed and I laughed.

"I'll be sure to keep a close eye on her. If she behaves like a good girl, maybe I'll take her out to get some ice cream later," I replied. I patted Alice's head. "How does that sound?" Alice rolled her eyes and Michelle laughed.

"All right, you two, see you later." The front door closed as Michelle left the house, leaving Alice and I to ourselves.

"So, what should we do today?" Alice asked. I shrugged in return.

"It doesn't matter to me, but Charlie probably wants me home by five, and I have that English essay I need to begin working on."

"Ugh," Alice groaned. "I completely forgot about that essay. Well, we could just stay in and maybe watch a movie?"

"Sounds good to me," I said in agreement. We both made our way to the living room and I sat down on the couch while Alice made her way to the television stand.

"What are you in the mood for? Romance, Comedy, Horror?"

"Comedy." I replied. I lied down on the couch and made myself comfortable.

"Alright, how about Office Space?"

"That's a good one," She put in the movie and jumped into the recliner. We sat in silence, laughing here and there throughout the movie. I loved lazy days like this.

After the movie was over we ended up back in Alice's room. We each were changed out of our pajamas and sitting on her bed. Alice held her phone in her hand and sighed.

"It's almost three and he hasn't even texted yet," she whined.

"Come on, Alice, he said he'd call or text sometime this weekend. It's only Saturday, there's still tomorrow," I told her.

"But, he was supposed to send me today!" she exclaimed.

"Did he tell you that?" I asked.

"No, but, he needed to so he could ask me out and then we could go on a date tomorrow before he left to go back to UDub in Seattle." She sighed and frowned. "I had it all planned out."

"Oh," I smiled, trying not to laugh. "Alice, you two only exchanged phone numbers yesterday. Give it some time, or, you know, you could be the one to text him first?" I suggested.

"Hmm…I might end up having to," she said thoughtfully. I stood up from my sitting position.

"I think I'm going to head home and get started on dinner for Charlie," I said and grabbed my bag of clothes off the floor.

"Okay, I need to begin working on that dumb essay anyways," Alice said as we walked out of her room.

"Talk to you later?" Alice nodded in reply. "Call me if you hear anything exciting from your lover boy," I teased. Her cheeks hinted at a blush. We made our ways to the door and were standing on her front porch.

"You know I will," Alice said before hugging me goodbye. "See ya!"

I walked towards her driveway and jumped inside my truck, the engine roaring to life as I turned the ignition on. I waved at Alice and put the gearstick into reverse.

**~ o ~**

I stirred the tomato sauce and listened as Charlie's cruiser pulled up to the house outside. I opened up the oven and checked to make sure the bread was still cooking alright. The front door opened and I could hear the sound of Charlie kicking off his boots in the hallway.

"Hey, Bella," Charlie greeted as he stepped into the Kitchen. He walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer. "Smells good," he commented.

"Thanks, I hope you don't mind spaghetti," I grabbed the pot of noodles and carried them to the sink, draining them of the hot water.

"Not at all, sounds nice to me," He then mumbled about seeing if the game was on and left to go to the living room. What game, I hadn't a clue.

"It'll be done in about ten minutes!" I called after him. Honestly, before I came to live here, I have no idea how Charlie survived on his own. Renee was never one to cook either. I sort of picked it up myself, refusing to live everyday on turkey sandwiches and pop-tarts. I moved here nearly three years ago after Renee remarried. At first I wasn't excited at all about the change, but now I can't picture myself living anywhere else.

I finished mixing the sauce into the spaghetti noodles and pulled the bread out of the oven. I made up two plates and sat them on the kitchen table. I called to Charlie and told him dinner was ready. His heavy footsteps made his way to the table where he sat down. I poured myself a glass of iced tea and joined him. We ate in a comfortable silence.

The phone rang and I jumped up to retrieve it.

"Hello?" I answered, expecting it to be Alice. Instead a male's voice answered.

"Yes, this is Officer Reed, may I speak with Chief Swan?" Came his reply.

"Yeah, hold on for a minute. It's for you," I said and Charlie's brows came together as he took the phone from my hand.

"Hello? Yeah?" I watched as Charlie's face grew stern as he listened to whatever the officer was telling him on the other line. "Okay, I'll make my way over there." He hung up the phone and shook his head.

"Looks like I'll be doing another late shift, somethings come up down at the station," he said with a bit of confusion in his voice.

"What's going on?" I asked concerned.

"Not exactly sure," he shrugged and I followed him to the hallway where he put his boots back on. "I probably won't be back home till later tonight. You'll be okay here by yourself?" I huffed.

"Of course. This isn't the first time. You know I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." He nodded.

"All right. I'll see you later, kiddo," The front door closed behind him as left. I was a bit curious as to what was going on, but we've had calls from the station before, so I wasn't too worried about it. I locked the door and walked my way back to the kitchen to clean the dishes up, putting away the leftovers in the fridge. Seeing as now was as good time as any to start on my essay, I grabbed my backpack from the hallway and carefully made my way up the stairs, not wanting to have another mishap. I plopped down in the chair next to my desk and unzipped my backpack, pulling out my binder. I turned on my ancient computer and waited for the slow thing to start up. Finally, after nearly five minutes, I pulled up the writing processor and got to work.

After almost two and a half hours of writing, I was done for the night. I saved the document to look over tomorrow and fix any mistakes, then shut off my computer. My butt was numb as I stood up from the chair. I yawned and looked over towards my alarm clock. The numbers read 9:34. I was exhausted. I wanted to just collapse on my bed and go to sleep, but then my need to take a shower won.

I walked into the hallway and grabbed a clean towel out of the closet before making my way to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I reached into the tub and turned the water on hot. I waited until the water heated up then I undressed and hopped into the shower. I quickly shampooed my hair and washed myself off, too tired to take my time, just wanting to hurry up so I could go to sleep. I turned the water off and opened the curtain, shivering as cold air hit my skin.

I stepped out of the tub and grabbed a towel off the towel rack, wrapping it around my body. I pulled the comb through my wet hair a couple of times then made my way back to my bedroom. I shut my door before walking to my dresser, pulling out an oversized t-shirt and underwear. As I let the towel drop to the floor, I froze as a quiet moan reached my ears. I gasped and my face automatically reddened.

No, there's no way.

I pulled on my underwear and shirt as fast as I could.

That couldn't have been the voice. No, I won't believe it. It had to be something else.

I basically ran to my bed and jumped in, pulling the covers up to my chin.

Maybe it was the air conditioner. Sure, it makes noises all the time. I shuddered underneath the covers.

But, if it was…then he, whoever he is, just saw me naked.

Naked.

Without any clothes.

I felt my face turn an even darker shade of red and I covered my face with my hands.

Stop it, Bella. It was nothing. There's no voice. There's no creepy guy watching you. It's just all in your head.

I slid myself further into my blanket and rolled over to stuff my face into my pillow. I was pathetic. Hiding from something that most likely didn't even exist.

I pulled my face from my pillow and rested my head on my hands, closing my eyes, trying to clear my mind of the thoughts of what just happened. I was worried, a little scared, but mostly embarrassed by the whole ordeal.

After a few minutes of trying to reassure myself that I what I heard was just my imagination, I finally began to drift off to sleep.

**~ o ~**

I was dreaming when I heard his voice for possibly the third time.

I dreamt that I was standing alone out in the middle of a wide field. The air was calm and the sky was bright, but I was lost. I had no idea where I was. Then I heard a voice,_ his _voice, calling out to me, speaking my name. I needed to find him. To find out who was behind the voice. I turned around, ran in different directions, shouting out in question and asking who he was. There was no reply, he left. Tears burned my eyes as I realized this. I had no idea why this upset me. I had no idea who _he_ even was. Then, as I was still standing alone, but this time silently crying, the sky turned an awful shade black and it began to rain, leaving me in nothing but darkness.

* * *

**A/N: It's still a little slow, but bare with me! I need to get the story line going before anything good happens. This chapter is a bit shorter than the first, I'm not sure how long each chapter will be, it will most likely vary. **

**Thank you all for reading! I appreciate each and every one of you. **

**~ Jamie**


	3. Chapter 3 - Questions Unanswered

**A/N**: Now we're finally starting to get somewhere! Sorry, it seems my chapters are getting a bit shorter as we go along. Oh, well, I think they'll continue to be around this length from now on.

I just want to take some time to thank you all for reading. You're all amazing.

**Disclaimer:** _Everything from Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just want to play around with the characters for a bit. So no copy right infringement intended._

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Questions Unanswered**

"Bella, you don't understand, I feel…I don't know, I think something's going on," Alice's usually perky voice was filled with worry as I listened to her talk over the phone.

I was sitting at my computer finishing the final touches on my essay when she called. It was now Sunday and from what I understood from Alice, Jasper still hadn't contacted her. I sighed and shook my head at no one in particular.

"It's only been two days, Alice. _Two_. Doesn't the waiting game last at least three?" I asked and I heard her huff on the other line.

"God, Bella. I've been trying to tell you it's different with him," Alice sounded hurt as she said this. "Yeah, I've only met him twice, but I can feel that there's something between us. I just, I don't know, it's like I was drawn to him, like I knew he was the one even when I didn't know he was there. I guess I can't expect you to understand," She sniffed and I automatically felt bad from her words.

"You're right, I don't understand, and I'm sorry. It's just, maybe he's nervous or something? And plus, didn't you say he was only visiting? So, he could possibly just be busy moving back and stuff," I shrugged. I took my essay and slid it into my binder then stood up from my chair and walked to my bookshelf, holding the phone against my ear as I looked over my choices on what to read. Alice paused and sighed.

"Yeah, maybe…I just, ugh," Alice groaned. "I have this awful feeling that something's wrong." I didn't answer, not knowing what to say. The silence drew out and I heard Alice shuffling around.

"Well, I guess I'm going to go, I'll talk to you tomorrow at school," She said.

"Yeah. Just, try not to worry too much, Alice, everything's going to work out fine," I told her gently. I grabbed _Wuthering Heights _and began to make my way downstairs.

"I hope so. Bye, Bella," Alice's voice ended as she hung up. I placed the phone back on the stand and walked down the hall to grab an old blanket out of the closet. I walked out the backdoor with book and quilt in hand. The sky was surprisingly sunny and it was a perfect time to go out and relax.

I walked towards the middle of the backyard and spread my blanket out on the grass. I lied down on my stomach and flipped my book open to a random page and began reading. The wind blew a gentle breeze that rustled through my hair. It was a little chilly, but I didn't mind. I stayed in this position for a few minutes, enjoying the silence and the outside.

_Go inside._

My heard jerked up. It was him again. That voice. My heart began to beat faster, but I no longer felt the need to freak out as much as I did before. I stood up and clutched my book to my chest.

"Who are you?!" I shouted. Then a blush crept up my cheeks as I realized how silly I probably looked. I was screaming at nothing after all. I didn't even know where this voice was coming from.

_Go Inside._

_NOW._

He ignored my question and he basically shouted at me through my thoughts. His voice sounded so rough and almost furious, yet I couldn't help but to notice that even with anger he sounded beautiful. I shook my head to concentrate on what he was saying.

"Wait, what? Why should I go inside?" I asked out. I was met with silence. "Hello?" I asked again, still no reply.

Deciding to follow his orders, I grabbed the blanket off the ground and jogged back up to the house. I locked the backdoor behind me and went to sit at the kitchen table. I was beginning to get nervous. I debated whether or not to call Charlie, but his police cruiser pulled up into the driveway just as I was deciding not to. I stood up from the table as he walked in through the door.

"Hey, Dad," I greeted. He grunted out a hello as he kicked off his boots. "So, uh, what exactly has been going on?" He straightend up and winced.

"Well, a report came in yesterday about a missing person, and apparently there's been more than one in the past couple of weeks or so," Charlie said with a tired voice. My eyebrows drew together at this information.

"Where at? Is everything okay?" I asked, my face showing concern. This wasn't normal, especially if it occurred near our small town.

"We'll have everything under control," He patted my shoulder and yawned. "I'm going to go get some shut eye."

"Sure, yeah," I nodded. "You've hardly gotten any sleep during these past couple of days, go get some rest." He began to make his way up the stairs, but paused and turned around.

"Listen, Bells, I want you to be careful when you start going out, and just stick close to home. I know I already lecture you enough over this, but with what's going on…"

"Yes, of course, I understand. I know," I assured him. He relaxed a bit and nodded.

"All right," He said and turned to make his way up to his room. I knew Charlie wasn't telling me everything. This was the longest conversation we've had in weeks. I made my way up to my room and sat back on my bed.

This was all so confusing. There were people missing, but how many? And where? I was definitely going to have to grill Charlie for some more answers tomorrow.

And the voice. He spoke to me again. He was so angry and almost worried. Worried about me? But why? And if I could hear him in my mind did that mean he could listen to my thoughts? I surely hoped not. That would be too embarrassing. I winced and decided not to think about it.

Though the fact that I could hear his voice in my head still scared me, I found myself wanting him to come back. I had so many questions that I needed answers to.

I even found myself dreaming about his voice. I woke up this morning remembering how my name sounded coming from him, how he whispered my name so gently. Shivers ran down my spine, not from being scared, but quite the opposite. This confused me even more.

The sun was going down, so I decided to go take a much needed relaxing bath before going to sleep. This time, though, remembering to take clothes with me to change into inside the bathroom. I blushed again remembering the incident from last night. I shut and locked the bathroom door behind me.

**~o~**

Charlie had up and left by the time I woke up the next morning. I ate a bowl of cereal then grabbed my backpack and headed out to my truck. I worried as it took a couple turns of the key for it to get started, but decided to talk to Jacob about it later.

My morning classes went on without any incidents or run-ins with Mike Newton, for that I was grateful. I turned in my essay during English and continued to work during my other classes. The lunch bell rang and I met up with Alice by her locker. She was unusually quiet as we made our way towards the cafeteria. We grabbed our food, me a slice of pizza and her a salad, then sat down at our usual table near the south side window.

"Alice? Is everything okay?" I asked. She looked up from her food and shrugged. "Is it still Jasper?"

"Yeah. I know you think it's dumb for me to worry about it, but…"

"Did you ever try texting him?" I interrupted her thought and asked. Her eyes widened as if my thought suddenly dawned on her.

"No, should I?!" She didn't even let me answer as she pulled out her cell phone. "What should I say?" I shrugged to her question, having no idea.

"Maybe try saying 'hello'?" I teased.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll say that, but I have to add the smiley face," she said typing into her phone.

"Is that even necessary?" I laughed. She gave me a look across the table.

"Of course it is. Without it, it seems like I don't care and I'm just texting him because I feel I have to. 'Hello' by itself is so boring. You need that smiley face, Bella, you need it," she said seriously. I just smiled and shook my head. We continued to eat our food until the bell rang, then we walked our way to our afternoon classes. Alice seemed to be in lighter spirits, but by the end of the day she was back to looking crest fallen.

"He didn't reply?" I asked her as I leaned against her locker. She shook her head no and looked crushed at the fact.

"I just don't understand," she nearly cried. "He was so perfect. Why hasn't he tried to call me yet? He said he would and he hasn't. I know something isn't right, I know it." We began walking towards the parking lot as school was over for the day. I lead Alice to her car and gave her hug.

"He would be stupid not to want to call you, Alice. Maybe soon he'll realize that," I felt her sigh against me and let go.

"Maybe," she shrugged. "I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay?" I frowned and nodded. Things just weren't the same without Alice being her bubbly self. These past couple of days have seemed to have been more difficult for her than I thought. I felt a little ashamed for not being there for her one-hundred percent. I made a note to call her later tonight. I said goodbye to Alice and we both made our own ways home.

**~o~**

I was home alone again. Charlie was still at the station, or wherever he was, doing whatever he was doing with the case. I decided to cook up some of Charlie's fish he had stocked in the freezer along with a pan of rice, knowing he'd enjoy that once he came back from his long day at work. I ate my plate of food alone at the table then went to lie in bed.

I sat back, resting against the pillows, and closed my eyes. Before long I found myself falling asleep, yet It didn't last long as a noise woke me up. My eyes slowly lifted open and I stretched out on my bed. I sat up and looked around. It was now completely dark outside. I looked over at my alarm clock, seeing it was a couple of minutes before midnight. I thought I heard a whisper of a noise, but I was still half a sleep. I tried blinking my eyes to concentrate.

_Bella._

He was back! My heart began to flutter the usual. I became wide awake and looked around in the darkness and of course my room was empty.

"Hello?" I whispered. I wasn't surprised when there was no reply. "You know, you can at least answer me for once," I called out annoyed. Still nothing. I rolled my eyes and huffed. I sat still for a few moments.

"I just want to know who you are," I said quietly. I was beginning to feel stupid having a one sided conversation. I was about to give up when his voice drifted through my thoughts again.

_You shouldn't be wondering so much about who I am, but what I am. _

His voice almost snarled. My eyes widened in shock. I gripped my blanket underneath me and lifted it up to my chin.

"Then…what are you?" I asked. He chose not to reply.

"So I'm not going crazy?" I whispered. "You're real?" This time he chuckled. It was just like the first time I heard his voice. He didn't say anything more.

Somehow I knew he had left, but I called out to him again. It was like I could almost sense him leaving. I ran my hand over my forehead. I now had even more questions that needed to be answered.

Though I was still confused, I couldn't help my lips from turning into a small smile. I couldn't wait to hear his voice again.

* * *

**A/N: And there we go! Do you all have any ideas where this is going? I'm excited for these characters and how this is going to turn out. I'm enjoying writing this so far. Don't be afraid to give me your thoughts! I would love to hear from you all.**

**~ Jamie**


	4. Chapter 4 - Missing

**A/N**: All of your reviews make me unbelievably happy! Thank you so much for your thoughts. I'd also like to thank all the readers along with you lurkers, you all are super.

**Disclaimer:** _Everything from Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just want to play around with the characters for a bit. So no copy right infringement intended._

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Missing**

A few days have passed without any signs of the mystery man's voice. I was surprisingly sad about this. I thought over our conversation from that one night far too many times to count. He didn't see himself as a who, but a what. I almost giggled. Now I was sounding like Dr. Suess. Yet, the thought of that made me frown. Was he trying to imply he was something other than human? Well, obviously, considering he can somehow speak to me through my thoughts, but… what else could it be?

And his voice. That beautiful, rich voice that drove it's way into my every being. We hardly had a full length conversation, but just his laugh caused shivers to down up my spine. I don't know what it was, but I couldn't get my mind off of him. I was definitely going to have to ask for his name when he comes back, well, if he does. Suddenly the idea of never hearing his voice again frightened and saddened me all at once. I didn't want him to leave.

"Bella?" I blinked and focused back in on Angela. "You've been zoning out for a while now, you alright?" I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just thinking," I said. It was Friday and I was sitting at lunch next to Angela. Alice stayed home sick, or so she says. I knew it was because Jasper still hadn't gotten in touch with her. It was breaking her heart and breaking mine from seeing her like that.

"Anyways, I asked if you've applied to any colleges yet?" Angela asked.

"I, well, not really," I blushed. I was still debating on what I wanted to do after I graduated. Everyone around me had a plan, heck even Alice did, but I still hadn't a clue what I wanted.

"That's okay, you have time," Angela said softly with a smile. She paused. "I just got back my letter from the University of Washington, I got accepted."

"Oh my god, Angela, that's great!" I hugged her from the side. She smiled, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes. "Isn't it?" I asked gently.

"Yeah, it is, I'm excited trust me, it's just…" She shrugged and glanced over at Ben who was sitting a few seats down next to Mike. "Ben's going out of state to California."

"Oh. O_h_," I said as it dawned on me. "Is that why you were upset when I saw you down at LaPush?"

"Yeah, we got into an argument that day," Angela said with a sigh. Her expression dropped.

"California?" I asked. "That doesn't seem very…Ben."

"He says he wants a change from Forks, that he wants to go out and experience life," She said and shrugged.

"Are you two…?" I asked, not wanting to finish my question in case it upset Angela.

"We're taking a break. Well, that's how he put it anyways," she muttered. Ah, so that's why they weren't sitting together.

"But, what about prom?" I asked without thinking and winced.

"I don't know, we didn't really discuss it," she said while looked down at the table. Poor Angela. She sounded so excited about prom a couple of weeks ago. It was coming up in about a month. I didn't plan on going myself. I was too uncoordinated for dancing and I just didn't want to mess with it.

"You know what, how about we do something together this weekend? We can have a sleepover at Alice's?" I asked. We've done this before and it turned out to be pretty fun, but this was nearly a year ago. Angela's eyes lit up a bit as she smiled.

"Yeah, I'd like that. I think I'm busy this weekend, but I'll be able to next week if that's okay?" She asked.

"Of course! It's a plan. I'll talk it over with Alice, she'll be excited," I said. I at least hoped Alice would perk up a bit at the idea. She's been so sad lately and I have barely been able to get a laugh out of lunch bell rang and we stood up to go to our classes.

The rest of the school day went by fairly fast. I caught myself more than once not being able to pay attention to the lessons, drifting off into my thoughts of Alice and _him_. My teachers began to notice my lack of attention during this week and called on me numerous times. Much to my embarrassment, I was only able to answer their questions correctly twice, the other times mumbling out an 'I don't know' with a red face.

When school ended, I headed straight home. Walking into the house I found Charlie sitting at the kitchen table looking through the local newspaper. He cleared his throat once he noticed I entered the kitchen.

"How was school?" He greeted.

"Fine, the usual. Kind of boring," I answered and shrugged. He nodded. This was our typical type of conversation. We weren't much for sitting down and pouring out our feelings. This worked for us. Much unlike Renee who could sit and talk about anything for hours, grilling questions about my love life, or lack of for that matter. I loved both of them, yes, but I grew up fast for my age, maturing earlier than others. I seemed to be the adult during most situations.

"Your friend Alice has been trying to call you for the past few hours. She told me to tell you to come over as soon as you can. She said it was important," He said over his paper.

"Huh, okay," I said confused. "that's okay with you if I go?" I asked, already knowing he'd say yes.

"Of course. Just remember to be careful out by yourself," he said.

"Those people are still missing aren't they?"

Charlie sighed at my question and sat down his newspaper.

"We have no leads. They just…disappeared. It's been nearly a week now, there's still search parties, but we're kind of lost here. We can only hope for the best."

"Yeah," I murmured in agreement. It was so sad. About three people had gone missing. I didn't know much else about it, but I knew they weren't too far off from Port Angeles. Charlie had been working almost non-stop for three days at the station. Now he was back to his regular schedule.

"I guess I'll head over to Alice's before she comes over here and drags me away herself. I'll be back before dark," I assured him. He grunted in acknowledgement and went back to reading his newspaper.

**~o~**

I knocked on Alice's front door and Michelle opened it to greet me. I noticed she was frowning, but once she saw it was me her face relaxed with relief.

"Oh, Bella, thank goodness. Alice is in her room. She's been upset since this morning, I'm not exactly sure why," she said, her voice full of worry and concern.

"I'll go check on her," I said and led myself through their hallway and into her room. I knew Alice had been sad lately, but hearing from her aunt that she was upset made me hurry to reach her.

"Alice?" I asked quietly and opened her bedroom door. Alice was lying on her bed with her face in her pillow, but when she heard my voice her head popped up. Tears were streaked down her face and her eyes were red from crying. I almost gasped, I had never seen her so upset. I quickly made my way to her bed and gently sat down next to her.

"Alice?" I repeated in a soft tone, "What's wrong?"

She let out a sob and covered her face with her hands.

"It's-It's Jasper!" she wailed into her hands. I brought her into a hug and she began to cry on my shoulder.

"Shhh," I tried to calm her down and rubbed her back. "What about Jasper?"

"He, I was reading the newspaper, and-and then, he's one of them!" she babbled through her tears.

"One of who?" I asked, my eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

"He's missing!" she cried. I inhaled quickly in a gasp. I hugged her tighter against me as she continued to cry into my shoulder.

"I-I knew it, I knew something was wrong, and now he's gone!" Her voice was muffled and her tears soaked through my t-shirt.

"Oh, Alice, I'm so sorry," I said quietly. This was terrible. Jasper was missing, but how? What happened?

"It's just, I, what do I do? I feel so lost now, but the weird thing is," she said and paused.

"What's weird?" I asked and she pulled away from me. Her face was red and her eyes were swollen from all the crying.

"At first I assumed the worst, that he was dead, but it's just," she wiped a couple of fallen tears off her cheeks. "I _know_ he's not. It's like I can feel him still here. But, I think…I think something bad has happened to him. I know it sounds strange, I only ever talked to him a couple of times, but there is something between us, Bella. Something that I've never felt before," I grabbed her hand in mine and patted it.

"I believe you," I told her. Like she said, it was strange, crazy even, that something like this could happen in only a matter of a week, but the way Alice was acting and how she seemed to know something was wrong with Jasper made me realize I should've listened to her all along. I called her everyday after school during this week, trying my best to comfort her and assure her that Jasper was okay, but she was right this whole time.

"You do?" she stuttered out. Her chin quivered and she leaned over to hug me again.

"Yes, Alice, I do, and I'm sorry I didn't see it clearly before," I said while hugging her back.

We sat in her in bed for a while longer. Her tears began to dry up as I comforted her in the best way that I could. I was shocked at the news of Jasper missing and I couldn't even begin to imagine how Alice was feeling.

"Do you still have the newspaper article?" I asked. She sniffed and nodded, standing up and walking to her desk across the room.

"Here," she said and handed me the newspaper. It was on the front page, pictures of three people, Jasper being the middle one. I skimmed through the article. Jasper was found missing since last friday night, the night of the party we went to. The other two were of young women, missing for about two weeks. I read deeper into the part about Jasper. Friends said they went out to a bar and he told them he was going out for a smoke and simply never came back. They tried contacted him, but to no avail. They contacted the police the next morning, because they were supposed to pack up and head back to Seattle, but there was still no sign of him.

"Doesn't something seem a bit off? I mean, Jasper was on vacation here. There's no way he left on his own. Something had to happen. Something weird," Alice said with anger.

"I agree. Three people missing within the same month near the same place? That's just, I don't know, _scary_. Maybe I should ask Charlie more about it," I said and Alice nodded quickly.

"Yes, yes, do that," she nearly begged.

"I will. Do you want me to stay the night? I'm not busy and if you want…"

"No," Alice shook her head sadly. "I promised Michelle I'd spend some time with her tonight. I haven't exactly talked to her for the past week or so," she looked down guiltily.

"Hey, it's okay, but I know she's been worried about you. Maybe you should fill her in on what's happened today," I said and patted her shoulder.

"Yeah, I know," she nodded in agreement.

"Did you ask her how her date with David went?" I asked and smiled, trying to change the subject to something lighter and to get her mind off of Jasper for a few minutes. She smiled and giggled softly.

"Yes, and she's totally smitten," her smile widened a bit, but her eyes were still glossed over with unshed tears. I sat with her for a few more minutes then walked out of the room to grab her some tissues. We talked more as I tried to get her to think of other things rather than the fact that Jasper had gone missing.

About an hour later Michelle called to ask if Alice was ready to go shopping. That was something the two shared in common. They loved bonding over clothes and shoes. I can think of many times where they decided buying a purse was more important than paying a utility bill, but that was who they were. I was glad Alice was going out, she needed it.

"Call me tomorrow, okay?" I said as I hugged Alice goodbye. She squeezed me tight and let go.

"I will. Thank you for being here and listening," she said quietly with a smile.

"Of course. You know I'm always here for you."

We said our goodbyes and I left to head back home. Today turned out to be awful. I was feeling so many different emotions at once, for Alice and Jasper. For _him_, the mysterious voice in my head. I blinked a couple of times to pay attention to the road ahead of me as I drove. I couldn't wait to get home. I was suddenly tired and the idea of a nap sounded wonderful.

**~o~**

_Bella._

I rolled over in my sleep and mumbled out something incoherent.

_Bella. _

"Go away," I mumbled into my pillow. I dragged the blanket up and over my head. Just let me sleep a little longer.

_Bella, wake up. _

I groaned and sat up, blinking my eyes to adjust to the darkness of my bedroom. I sat still for a few seconds before my eyes widened as I suddenly realized who I was listening to.

"It's you, you're back," I breathed out.

_I can't find it in myself to stay away from you any longer._

His voice was like velvet, deep and soft as it brushed against my thoughts.

"What do you mean? I haven't heard from you in almost three days," I basically whined. He didn't answer and I blushed. I knew nothing about him. Nothing. And here I was was complaining that he wasn't here. He must think me foolish, but his voice finally replied.

_There were some…urgent matters I had to attend to. _

"Like what?" I blurted out. My face darkened another shade of red. "I mean, I'm sorry, that's none of my business," I apologized. It was silent after that. I bit my lower lip in worry that he left.

"Are you still there?" I whispered.

_Yes._

"I was just wondering…how are you able to do this? Talk to me, I mean, inside my head?" I listened as he chuckled to my question.

_You mean within your thoughts? I have to admit that I actually have no idea._

"Wait, what? You don't know?" I asked bewildered.

_Yes, as shocking as it may seem. _

I continued to chew on my lip in thought. This was all too weird.

_Stop doing that._

"Doing what?"

_Biting your lip. It's…distracting. _

I blushed and followed his demand, releasing my lip from my teeth. Then my eyes shot towards my bedroom window. The blinds were pulled up, as they usually always were, but if he told me to stop biting my lip, then that must mean…

"You can see me?!" I gasped. I jumped up from my seat on the bed and ran to the window. The moon was shining bright, but it was still too dark out to see anything.

_Yes. _

He began to laugh.

_What is it that you're doing?_

"Looking for you," I answered. His laughing ceased.

_It's useless for you try. _

"Oh," I mumbled dejectedly. "If I can hear you then why can't I see you?"

_Getting close to you can lead to something disastrous, Bella. I can't let that happen. _

"I don't understand," I whispered out. I was confused and saddened by what he said. He didn't reply and I didn't expect him to. I walked back to my bed and sat down at the edge of it, staring out my window.

_I'm sorry. _

His voice was barely a whisper.

_I must leave now._

"No!" I shouted. Then I shot a look towards my bedroom door, forgetting about Charlie. Hopefully he didn't hear that. His voice sighed in return.

_I have no choice in the matter, believe me. _

"But _you_ woke me up. You just got here. Please don't go yet," I pleaded.

_If I could stay here any longer I would. _

His voice sounded regretful.

"I, well, can I at least ask you a question before you leave?" I asked and he hesitated for a moment.

_You can._

"What's your name?"

There was a pause and I wrung my hands together nervously.

"It's okay, you don't have to answer, I was just-"

_It's Edward. _

"Wh-what?" I stuttered.

_Edward. My name is Edward._

* * *

**A/N: Aw, yay! Bella finally got to have a conversation with her mystery man. And poor Angela and Alice, right? Anyways, don't be shy to leave a review! I love hearing from you all.**

**~ Jamie**


	5. Chapter 5 - Trouble

**A/N: **Sorry, this chapter is a bit short.

Again I'd like to thank you all for your reviews! They mean so much!

**Disclaimer:** _Everything from Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just want to play around with the characters for a bit. So no copy right infringement intended._

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Trouble **

"Edward," I repeated back, letting his name flow through my lips. His name was different, but it fit him perfectly.

"Will I get to hear from you again soon?" I asked.

_Yes. _

My face lit up. He was coming back. He wasn't going to disappear.

"When?"

_Tomorrow, but for now I must go. Goodbye, Bella. _

"Bye, Edward," I whispered with a grin.

I lied back on my bed with my legs hanging over the edge. I couldn't believe it. My mystery man's voice, _Edward's _voice, was real. I didn't want him to leave so soon, but he was coming back tomorrow and that I looked forward to. I planned on asking him as many questions as I could.

**~o~**

I awoke as the sun shined through the windows, the brightness tickling my eyelids. I was still curled up at the edge of the bed, but the blanket was placed over me. I sat up and stretched out my arms and back. That wasn't the most comfortable position to fall asleep in.

Today was Saturday and I wasn't sure what to do. Charlie was once again down at the station and I was home alone. I was planning on going to Alice's later, but the selfish part of me wanted to just stay home and wait for Edward to come back.

I decided to go call her instead, so I walked downstairs and did just that. We talked for a few minutes and I could still hear the sadness in her voice, but she said she had a good time shopping with her aunt yesterday. I didn't bring up Jasper and neither did she. We then made plans to meet up tomorrow and then said our goodbyes.

Since I was downstairs I decided to make a bowl of cereal and ate it at the kitchen table. After finishing up, I rinsed out the bowl at the kitchen sink and went ahead and did a load of dishes. It was still early in the morning and I decided to go ahead and start doing a couple of loads of laundry. I started on Charlie's hamper of dirty clothes first. I still don't know how he made it without me.

As I was carrying the empty hamper back to Charlie's room I heard the doorbell ring. I hurried to go put it back in it's place before answering the door.

"Knock, knock!"

I smiled and shook my head as I opened the door.

"Hey, Jacob, what're you doing here?" I greeted.

"What? Do I need an excuse to come visit my favorite girl?" He shot me one of his signature grins and walked past me inside as I held the door open for him.

"Um, I suppose not," I answered. I closed the door and followed him into the living room where he was already reclining in Charlie's chair.

"So…?" I asked openly as I sat down on the couch.

"So…," he repeated. "What have you been up to, Bella? You know you were supposed to call me, right? I thought we had plans."

"Oh, gosh, you're right," I winced. "I totally forgot."

"Wow, thanks for that," Jacob laughed.

"I've just been caught up lately and with Alice…," I said and shrugged.

"What about Alice?" he asked.

"It's about this guy she met. You know in the paper about those three people that have gone missing?" I asked. His eyes darkened and he nodded. "Yeah, he's one of them. It's horrible," I shook my head sadly. His expression grew angry and he let out what sounded like a growl.

"Jacob?" I asked worriedly. He closed his eyes and exhaled.

"Bella, this is sort of why I came to talk to you."

"Huh?" I asked.

"It's about what's been going on. You need to be careful. I don't want you going out by yourself," he began to say, but I interrupted him.

"Okay, but I've already heard this from Charlie," I said as I began to grow annoyed. "Do you honestly think I'm not smart enough to realize that? I'm capable of taking care of myself, thank you."

"Bella, be serious here," Jacob glared at me from his spot on the chair. "I don't want you leaving Forks for any reason at all."

"Where do you expect me to be going?" I scoffed.

"Bella," He repeated my name exasperated. "That means no coming to visit me. I don't want to see you anywhere near my house or LaPush," I sat back and frowned.

"Why?" I asked. I watched as he rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

"The guys told me not to mention it to you, but…"

"But what?" Jacob shook his head at my question.

"It's, there's something going on, Bella, something not good. Just, never mind," He got up from his seat and walked over to sit next to me on the couch. He grabbed my hand in his.

"Do this for me, okay? I only want you to be safe. I don't know what I'd do with myself if they," he paused. "if something were to happen to you," he finished. He began to rub the back of my hand with his thumb and I slowly retracted my hand away from his. His skin was abnormally warm and him being so close was making me feel awkward.

"Okay," I sighed. "But I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Just trust me," he gave me a small smile. "And thank you,"

"Yeah, yeah," I waved him off. "Are you thirsty? Hungry?"

Jacob's stomach rumbled in reply and he chuckled.

"I always am. I'm growing boy after all," he said rubbing his belly. "But, I can't. I only had time to stop by here for a little while. The guys are expecting me back," he said standing up. I followed him to the front door.

"Alright, so I'll talk to you later?" I asked.

"Yes and don't forget to call next time," he teased.

"I'll try not to. Bye, Jake."

He turned towards me and my eyes widened a bit in shock as he lifted me off the ground to give me a hug. I giggled nervously and patted him on the back in return. Jacob rubbed his face into my shoulder.

"You can put me down now," I mumbled. Jacob sighed and sat me back on the ground. He removed his arms from around my waste with a bit of hesitance.

"Bye, Bella," he said as he began to walk towards his car. "And don't forget what I told you!" I rolled my eyes.

"I won't," I said and shut the door. Jacob normally wan't this…touchy. It was a little too weird for me. I stood in the hallway frowning.

A growl interrupted my thoughts.

_Who exactly was that?_

I gasped and jumped.

"Edward," I said with a goofy grin. "You're here."

_Bella, do I need to repeat myself?_

His voice was angry.

"I-what?"

_Who was that __**boy**__ that just left?_

"Oh," I let out a nervous laugh. "That's just Jacob, it's nothing, he's just, we're just friends," I rambled and winced. Why did I feel the need to explain this to him?

His voice growled again.

_He touched you._

"Yeah, but it was just a hug," I defended.

_I don't want him coming near you again._

"We're _friends_, Edward. That's all. It's not like you can stop me from seeing him again anyways," I said now angry myself.

_I don't like him. _

Wait, was that a hint of jealousy I heard? My anger disappeared and I bit my bottom lip to hold back a grin. I hurried up the stairs to go to my room, knowing he would follow. It seemed to make more since to talk out loud to myself in my bedroom rather than downstairs. I took my usual seat upon my bed.

I sat in silence going through a list of questions in my mind on what to ask Edward.

_Bella?_

"Huh?"

_You've been oddly quiet for the past five minutes. _

"Oh," I said. I was confused. "I thought you able to, you know, read my thoughts?"

_As much as I want to, no, I can't. _

"That kind of makes no sense," I said and Edward chuckled humorlessly.

_Believe me, I know. _

"Are you able to do this with everyone?" I asked.

_No._

"Then how is this possible?"

Edward was quiet for a few seconds.

_I was…born, I guess you could say, with the ability to read minds. You're the only one I can't hear and the only one that I've been able to transfer my own thoughts to. With you, it's nearly the exact opposite. _

I stayed quiet to let his information sink in.

"That's bizarre," I whispered.

He hummed in reply. I messed with the sleeve on my shirt, nervous to ask my next question.

"That one day you told me I should be asking you _what_ you were instead of who you were, were you implying that you were something other than human?"

_You certainly are an observant one. _

He replied and left it at that. I began chewing on my bottom lip unconsciously.

_Bella, what did I tell you about that?_

I realized what I was doing and blushed.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Edward?" I asked. He sighed.

_Yes?_

"Remember when I was out laying in the grass, the day you told me to go inside? What was going on?" I sat in silence waiting for him to answer.

_It wasn't safe for you to be outside at the time._

"What do you mean?"

_There was…danger near by. I didn't want you to end up being a part of it. _

"Okaaay," I drawled out. He was being so confusing. "Is that all you're going to tell me?"

_For now. _

I hugged my knees to my chest and nodded.

"Edward?" I asked again.

_Another question? _

"Will I ever get to see you? In person that is," I looked towards my open window, the large oak tree shaking in the wind nearby.

_I can't make you any promises, Bella. _

I looked away to the opposite side of my room.

"I see," I said sadly.

_I'm not - _

He stopped and sighed.

_I'm dangerous, Bella. _

His voice was quiet.

"I don't believe that," I whispered.

_You should. _

He grew angry again.

_You don't realize the harm I could put you through, the pain I could inflict upon you. _

He said with a deep growl that caused me to shudder. My heartbeat began to quicken. I couldn't tell if I was scared or angry.

_I'm a monster._

He said more softly.

"Edward, no!" I exclaimed. I was standing up now.

_I should leave. _

"No, don't," I cried out.

He didn't reply and I was left once again in silence.

"Will you at least come back to see me tonight?" I asked. "Please?" I stood near the window waiting for him to answer.

_I will. _

"Thank you," I whispered. I felt a shift in the air and a sudden loss as he left.

Edward. There was definitely something between us, something that was amazing and frightening at the same time. I began to not only feel a want for him to be near me, but a _need_.

He made me feel so many different things at once. Happiness, shyness, nervousness, confusion. He made sure to be short with me on answers. The only thing I now learned about him was about his gift and how he viewed himself. A monster? No, never. He was everything but that to me.

I continued to look out the window wondering where he may have sat during our conversation. I hugged my arms around myself.

Was it possible to fall in love with someone so fast? Especially when you had no idea who that certain someone was?

I rubbed my hand down my face.

I was in trouble.

* * *

**A/N: Aw, Edward. So many things going on at once, eh? **

**Be sure to give me your thoughts! I love to hear 'em. **

**~Jamie**


	6. Chapter 6 - Staying

**A/N:** This chapter is a long one. Now you all get to finally look inside the mind of Edward.

Again, thank you all so much for your kind reviews! I love them all.

**Disclaimer:** _Everything from Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just want to play around with the characters for a bit. So no copy right infringement intended._

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Staying**

**Edward POV**

They sky was dark as I walked through the wooded area. I've been traveling for days, roaming, coming and going at my own pace. I trekked quietly, straightening out my jacket. I had finished feeding on a couple of deer a few miles back. The taste was close to horrid. Somedays I wished I had just stayed with Carlisle and them up in Alaska. At least they had fair game.

But I left. I knew how much it hurt Esme to see me leave, but this life was becoming far too tedious even for me. That and the fact that Rosalie and Emmett recently came across their undying love for each other. It was one thing to live in a house with Carlisle and Esme, even with Rosalie by herself, but then take living with two couples and having to deal with all the unwanted sights and sounds…It didn't exactly create the most comfortable living space. Their thoughts alone drove me nearly mad.

I, myself, was alone. I was use to it, having been alone for more than a hundred years. Of course, being who I am, I attracted more than enough female attention. I once thought of letting go, to try and enjoy the company of someone from the opposite sex, that someone being Tanya Denali. She was more than willing. She approached me on numerous occasions offering what she thought I needed. _Release_.

That thought ended quickly.

Though Tanya was an attractive woman, yet being of our kind attractiveness is sort of a given, she wan't who I wanted. Though absurd as it may sound, I didn't want to just _settle_ in whatever relationship I could with whoever was around.

Once Emmett came to fit into our…family of sorts, he began to mock me endlessly about being the only one-hundred-year-old virgin to walk this earth. He and Rosalie had many times tried to set me up with women, much to my annoyance, but it never worked out in their favor. Looking at Carlisle and Esme…that was what I wanted. They've been together for many years and their passion was still as strong as when they first met.

I could smell faint traces of rain in the air and began to run. I was arriving in Washington where we had an empty house setting on a large piece of land out in the small town of Forks. This was my first time visiting it in nearly fifty years. I wasn't sure why I found myself coming here of all places. I suppose my endless wandering led me here.

It's been a little over four months since I left. Esme was frightened that I wasn't going to come back for years, as when I did when I was first changed. I only planned on being gone for a few months, a year at most, without going back to visit. I tried to sooth her worries, but to no avail. I agreed to keep my cellphone in order to stay in touch.

The rain was beginning to fall harder from the sky so I sped up my pace. To the human eye I would be nothing but a blur. It only took me less than five minutes to reach the clearing to our property.

This house was most definitely my favorite out of the six we owned. It stood at a tall two stories, the back was built with large windows that spread out to see the land below. My room in particular had one wall built entirely with glass.

I quickly made my way up the back porch and used the house key in my pocket to unlock the door. Once I made my way inside I turned on the lights, though it didn't make much difference to my eyes as our kind are able to see as clearly in the dark as we are in the light, and noticed the circulations of dust clouding the air. There were a few pieces of furniture scattered about the living room covered with a thick throw-overs to keep them from dirtying and aging.

I walked through the living room and down the hallway to the dining room where my older grand piano sat. It was also covered with a sheet and I ran my hand over it as gently as I could so not to disturb it from it's place. Maybe later I'd work on re-tuning it up.

Now that I was here I had no idea what to do. I only planned on staying here for a couple of days, but now that I was here I couldn't find anything worth doing. I sighed.

The rain didn't stop pouring till hours later when the sun began to rise and a new day started. The sky was unusually bright today, hardly a cloud to be seen. All traces of the rain from the night before were gone. I spent the past hours reading from my collection of books I kept upstairs. Sleep was the one thing I truly missed about being human.

I made up my mind to move on from this place and to keep traveling. There was honestly nothing here for me to do and the hunt was painfully boring. I decided to head down north where mountain lions were more common. I might as well go somewhere where I can partially enjoy myself.

There was no need for me to pack a traveling bag. We had another house located in Colorado where I planned on going to next. Plus I basically had endless amounts of money. I wasn't worried about anything.

Of course, so I thought.

The weather was unusually warm and the sky was sunny, empty of any clouds. I was running once again through the woods until I came across this scent that caused me to abruptly stop. This scent…it burned me to my very core. It was unbearably sweet, like strawberries and honey. I had to clutch at the tree next to me to keep me from falling to my knees and to help me keep a grip on my mind. I never knew I could feel such agony.

Venom was rushing to my mouth. I swallowed and growled. I felt my inner monster rising to the surface, wanting to take control and attack whatever this scent belonged to. I couldn't let this happen. So I began to run.

I ran back in the opposite direction. This was the fastest I had ever felt my feet carry me. I desperately needed to escape from the trap that I was just put under. I ran for what felt like hours. I ran until the the pain began to slowly disintegrate.

Never in my entire existence had I encountered such a thing.

I was in definite need to hunt again, so I did, but the urge to go back and see what that scent belonged to was still there.

Did I want to go back? Was I willing to take such a risk?

Yes, I was.

And so I did.

I couldn't believe me eyes once I found the source. It was just a girl. A _human_ girl. A girl that appeared out of nowhere. She had an unbelievable power over me and she didn't even know it.

I was standing in a tree that rested in the woods at a far distance, watching her from outside her house. She was alone. It would be so easy to take her.

The beast inside me raged. Different variations of how I could lure her outside were running through my mind. Venom burnt down my throat at the thought of her blood…how sweet it would taste.

I dug my nails into my knees as I crouched in the branches. I was disgusted with myself.

I tried to calm myself of the unwanted imaginings so I could pay attention to the young girl. She looked about 18, around the age when I was turned into what I am today.

As my mind cleared, I couldn't help but to notice that she was strikingly beautiful for a human. She was petit and slender, with long flowing brown hair. She was facing away from the window in the kitchen, making sandwiches I believe.

Once she turned to face me I nearly lost my balance, which is quite laughable knowing my balance is nothing but perfect. I could see her perfectly from where I sat. Her face was heart shaped, with big brown eyes and a little button nose. Her lips were full and looked very…

I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. This was too much. Just minutes ago I was doing everything I could to hold myself back from using her as prey and feeding off her blood. Now I was imagining how her lips would feel like against mine.

This was simply unreal.

I was now watching her from the upstairs window. She was walking down the hall with a sandwich in her hand and before I knew it, she was tripping over herself and falling straight for the floor. I jumped up, worried that this fragile thing might have hurt herself.

She rolled over on her back

"That's just perfect", I heard her mumble. Her voice was as sweet as her scent, but I couldn't help it. Her falling and just this whole situation entirely made me chuckle quietly to myself.

Then her head shot up as if she heard me and my brows furrowed. I listened as she shouted out, asking who was there. Then she began to talk to herself, reassuring it was nothing.

There was no way she could be able to hear me from such a distance. She was only human after all.

She began to walk around the house, searching for signs of a breaking and entering. I shook my head and smiled at her silliness, but I was still confused as to what happened.

Then I realized something.

Not once did I hear a single thought from her. How could I not notice this till now? Her mind was absolutely blank. I couldn't read anything from her. I began to grow frustrated.

Reading minds was my gift. There are others out there like me that happened to come upon a gift in their transformations, though it isn't exactly normal.

I had never came across anyone that I couldn't read before. I didn't know what to make of it.

**~x~**

She left a short while after her small incident. I followed her as she drove in this horrid excuse for a vehicle. It made me wish I had drove my Volvo instead of traveling on foot. The noise it emitted as it slowly made it's way across town made me cringe.

She parked outside of a small house, her friend's I assumed, and disappeared inside. I waited for a few hours until they reappeared again. She wasn't wearing the same clothes from earlier.

I raised my eyebrows and took in her new outfit. She was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged her hips perfectly and a black long sleeve top that fit snuggly against her body, the v-neck cutting low showing off just a bit of cleavage. I had to hold myself back from groaning out loud. Her hair was left down in it's natural state, flowing down past the middle of her back. I shamelessly let my eyes soak up as much of her as I could.

Too soon for my liking they were off again, but this time in a different car. I barely had time to glance over at her small friend, all my attention was focused on her.

I once again followed her, but had to stop as I realized where they were heading. LaPush. I knew of the treaty Carlisle had set here with the, to put in kinder words, _shape shifters_. We weren't allowed to cross over onto their land as long as we were here. If we were to break said treaty, they were free to attack. I didn't need that kind of attention put on me now.

So I decided to leave her be while they were gone. I could wait.

**~x~**

It didn't take long for the yellow Porsche to drive back. I felt like a tracker, following her every move. They led me to the local diner where I watched from outside as they joined a group of people sitting in the back of the cafe.

I growled instantly.

The boy sitting across from her, his thoughts went far beyond friendship. He was imaging her in ways that I hadn't even dared to myself. I wanted to cause that boy pain.

I watched as he called out to her, saying her name.

_Bella_.

Oh, how it fit her well.

I watched as they ordered food and sat in silence. Bella looked downright uncomfortable. The window was slightly pulled open and as she leaned forward and brushed her hair to the side I got hit with the tantalizing smell of her once again.

God, _that scent_.

Just as it happened earlier, her head shot up and her eyes were wide.

"What?" she asked her friends. I could sense the group's confusion at her question. Could she in fact be hearing _me_? That time I hadn't even spoken out loud, so how was it possible? She swiveled her head around, searching the restaurant. Bella then shook her head at herself and shrugged it off, blaming her episode on being tired.

Her friend, that I soon learned was named Alice, had a most intriguing mind. Her thoughts seemed to be clattered and unexpected. At one point she was thinking about a new pair of shoes she recently bought, then the image of something else entirely took over.

It was of a boy, or a man I suppose, a few years older than they were. He had curly blonde hair. I watched as Alice began to think of the time they had spent together recently. He would softly stroke her hair, whisper into her ear, or hug her close. It was obvious to me that she was in love with this man, but her thoughts were curious, as the boy was surrounded in nothing but darkness. She was afraid something was wrong, but decided to leave it to ponder over later.

They finished eating a short time later and I ran back to Alice's house, but soon found out she was staying the night. I decided I had practically stalked her enough for the day. I needed to hunt again anyways. I usually only went once a week at the most, but because of the way her scent affected me, hunting helped to sooth the burn.

**~x~**

I was setting up the living room space at the house, arranging it to a small sitting area for myself. Bella was the reason why I decided to stay. Though I knew I shouldn't, I wanted to get close to her. I also knew that it was impossible to do so. She was so small. I could kill her in an instant.

As I was moving the couch to the center of the room, something in the air shifted. I stood up straight and inhaled. There were three others of my kind moving and fast. I stood still and waited, expecting them to notice that I was here. I listened. They could sense me from their spot a few miles away. The girl in the pack asked to come find out who I was. One of the two males told her no, not now, and they took off again.

As I sniffed the air again. It came to my horror that I could smell blood, and not just any blood, but _human _blood. This was not good. This could be dangerous.

Then my mind automatically went to Bella. If anything were to happen to her…

I growled. No. I wouldn't dare let them get remotely close to her.

It was now Saturday and already the day was ending. I had made sure to keep myself busy, but now I needed to go see Bella. I won't lie, those three that I just saw sent a bit of fear through me. I wasn't scared for myself, but for _her_.

I left the house as it was and began to run in the direction of Bella's house. I jumped into the large oak tree nearest to her bedroom window.

I gasped and nearly fell over at the sight that was in front of me.

Bella was standing in the center of her room, facing away from me, with nothing but a towel covering her tiny form. My breathing stopped as I took her in with wide eyes. Then, suddenly, her towel dropped to the floor.

I groaned at the vision before me. Her skin was flawless and still wet from the shower she had just took. Her wet hair dripped down her back. I let my eyes wonder downward, paying close attention to the way her small back curved into her waste and then to the soft roundness of her cute little bottom.

Bella gasped, obviously hearing my outburst, and hurried to change. As bad as it was, I couldn't remove my eyes away from her. To me, she was absolutely stunning.

I was standing awkwardly in the tree now. I reached down to adjust my pants. My reaction to her body was obvious.

I watched as Bella ran to her bed and basically hid underneath the sheets. I could tell how embarrassed she was by the redness of her cheeks. I suddenly felt ashamed of my actions. She didn't deserve to be gawked at as I just did to her, especially when she thought she was in the privacy of her bedroom.

I stood standing in the tree for a while longer, watching as she eventually drifted off to sleep.

_Bella_.

**~x~**

The next day my fears had came back. I was out at my meadow when I noticed the same three beings from yesterday making their way back, except they were heading towards Bella's direction. I immediately ran.

I was horrified once I noted Bella was outside her house. I ordered her to go inside at once. I grew angry as she simply stood there. I shouted once more for her to go inside and she finally complied, hurrying up the back steps to her house.

The group was close. I ran back out to the woods to distract them, but they soon caught on to my plans and started making there way towards me. I stood waiting.

The girl's mind was excited. She had been wanting to meet me for days now. I was surprised, not knowing they'd been here longer since yesterday. One of the men was agitated, thinking me as a threat for ruining their hunt. The other was simply curious.

They approached me from a safe distance, though the woman wanted to come closer. I watched as she imagined us together in various positions. I had to hold back a shudder.

"Well, well, well," she purred. "What do we have here?"

She slowly made her way towards me, looking me up and down.

"My, you certainly are a pretty thing,"

The lankier, older man laughed, shaking his head.

"Now, Maria, we don't have time for games, you know this," she pouted as her companion said this.

"But what's the fun in that? And I'm sure he wouldn't mind," she drew her finger up my arm and winked.

"I would, actually," I replied coldly. Her eyes narrowed as I stepped away from her.

"What are you doing here?" the larger one asked snidely.

"I was just about to ask you all the same thing," I said matching his tone.

"Is that so? May I also ask who it was that you happened to be running from then?" his smile turned dark. "The sweet little thing that was lying outside her house, perhaps?"

I growled as anger blurred my vision. I lunged towards him, but the other male ran between us, putting his hands up in the air, blocking me from attacking.

"Watch it, Warren, I think you're making him angry," Maria giggled.

"Don't worry, son, we've already got all we need here. We won't be messing with your girl," the older one defending the other male spoke.

His thoughts went to a crowded room where several people stood. All with blaring red eyes, many laded with scars.

"I wouldn't promise him that," Warren sneered.

I would've lunged towards him again if I wasn't being distracted by the faces going through the older man's thoughts. One of them in particular stood out.

"What have you done?" I gasped.

That face. It was none other than that of the one from Alice's earlier thoughts. Jasper.

He had been changed into one of us. His skin was now as pale as ours. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was etched with scars, most likely from fighting going on with the other newborns. This looked to be like the start of an army.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Maria smirked. "For now."

I had to contact Carlisle as soon as possible about this. Did these three honestly think that Aro wouldn't find out about their secret agenda?

"Come now, Warren, Peter, it's time to head back," Maria said then looked towards me. "You know, I would love for you join us, I could certainly use someone with your..._physique_."

"I don't think so," I growled.

"Suit yourself," she shrugged. "Who knows, maybe we'll be seeing you sooner than you think."

Maria then ran off, followed by Peter and Warren, through the small clearing and out of sight. I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers and steadied my breathing. I was angry, furious. I needed to see Bella, but most of all I needed to talk to Carlisle.

I ran home to grab my forgotten cellphone, dialing in Carlisle's number. I nearly crushed the phone under my hand as I retold him what happened. He was clearly shocked. He asked me how I thought we should handle the situation, and I hadn't a clue.

I told him of Bella, of my strong reaction towards her. Though he was surprised, he seemed genuinely happy. I have never once spoken to him about a girl. There was just far too many problems going on with this situation.

If we brought it up to Aro, the leader of the Volturi clan, he would begin to investigate immediately, which could cause him to come across Bella. My Bella.

It was forbidden for humans to know about us. It would make things even worse if he knew we two were…close. In his view, Bella would have to die. I wasn't willing to risk her life. I didn't want to lose her yet.

Then Carlisle brought up the problem with the Quileute tribe from LaPush. I was embarrassed to admit I had completely forgotten. They had to know of the problem that was going on. It was only obvious that I would be getting a visit from them soon.

We continued to discuss further options. We agreed that it would be safest if we kept everything at a stand still for now. Carlisle, along with the others, were ready to leave Alaska and join me here as soon as possible, but I stopped them. They hesitantly accepted my wishes and I promised to call as soon as something else happened.

**~x~**

Bella was sleeping when I finally got see her. I had made the mistake of not hunting, and my throat burned with venom as I took in her form under the sheets, her scent driving me near crazy.

"Bella," I whispered.

She stirred and slowly sat up.

"Hello?" she whispered back. She blinked multiple times to adjust to the darkness and yawned.

"You know, you can at least answer me for once," she called out sleepily.

I would if only I could find the words to say. She stunned me into silence with everything about her.

"I just want to know who you are," she said quietly.

This girl was mad. I was able to speak with her through my thoughts, and she was wondering _who_ I was? Did it not come across her mind that I was dangerous? That the thoughts I had of her could send her off screaming?

"You shouldn't be wondering so much about who I am, but _what_ I am," I almost growled out.

She sat in shock. I couldn't tell if it was from the sound of my voice or from what I just told her. She lifted the blanket up to her chin.

"Then…what are you?"

I didn't reply. I couldn't. If she knew what I was she wouldn't dare come searching for me again. I didn't want her to fear me, but she should.

"So I'm not crazy?" she whispered to herself. "You're real?"

I couldn't help but to shake my head and chuckle. If only this girl knew.

**~x~ **

I appeared at the tree next to Bella's window around the same time as last night. Today was a school day for her and I had spent my time hunting to distract myself. I found herself a sleep once again and called out her name.

"Go away," she mumbled, still asleep. I had to hold back a laugh.

"Bella, wake up," I coaxed her. She startled awake and sat up quickly.

"It's you, you're back," she breathed out.

She was excited to see me as I was her.

"I can't find it in myself to stay away from you any longer," I said. Any longer being a possible of five hours at a time. If only she knew the extent to which I followed her.

She then asked what I meant, complaining that she hardly heard from me in the past few days. I almost laughed again. This was so far the longest conversation we have ever had. Yet, her words were true. I was far too busy with the on-goings that were happening around her. My poor girl had no idea.

We sat in silence for a few minutes as Bella sat in thought. I watched as her tongue peeked out to lick her lips before her teeth latched on to her bottom lip. I couldn't take my eyes away from her mouth.

"Stop doing that," I said more harshly than I intended. She stopped and blushed. The color looking lovely against her fair skin. She then jumped out of bed rushing to the window, finally realizing that I could see her. It was impossible for her to do so in this darkness at night, but I only sighed at her attempt.

"Getting close to you can lead to something disastrous, Bella. I can't let that happen," I told her sadly. I had only been brave enough to approach her at a safe distance, afraid of what could happen if I were to get any closer. Her blood sang to me and I couldn't ignore it.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. She nodded and looked to be blinking back tears.

I sniffed the air and winced at a sudden pungent smell. _Dog_.

"I must leave now," I told her as I stood up. It was the shape-shifters, just as I expected. They weren't too close yet, which gave me enough time to meet them myself.

"No!" She cried out. I paused. She begged me not to leave.

Oh, sweet girl, don't you know I can't stay away?

I promised her I would return tomorrow. Her spirits seemed to lift and then she hesitated before asking me one last question. She asked me for my name.

I was getting far too close. Bella was vastly becoming the most important thing in my existence, but there was no turning back now.

"It's Edward," I told her. "My name is Edward."

She repeated my name in her sweet, soft voice.

She possibly couldn't understand what she did to me. Never had I believed that I could feel this way.

She whispered goodbye as I leapt out of the trees.

~x~

"Are you responsible for this?"

There were four of them. All of them furious. If they were any more animal-like, they'd be foaming at the mouth.

"No," I replied cooly.

"I don't believe him. I say we kill him where he stands," Paul, who's name I believe, growled out.

"As if you could," I replied mockingly. A few of them began to shake with anger.

"Look," Sam, the lead of the pack, forced out. "People are going missing and some have even died because of _your kind-"_

"And I assure you I had nothing to do with it. If you lot had any sense whatsoever, you would be able to tell that for yourselves," I said calmly.

"You're nothing but a blood-sucking leech," the youngest one barked out. "Why don't you just admit you know what's going on?" I raised my eyebrows.

"There were three, as you say, _blood-sucking leeches_, that I ran across just yesterday. They are the one's responsible," I said. They all eyed me wearily.

"Why should we believe you?"

"Jacob, calm down, let's just listen to what he has to say," Sam said off to his side.

I held back my smirk. Jacob was the youngest and the most recent person of tribe to transform. He was still highly unstable and could change at any moment.

"So, you're telling me your _group_ didn't sniff out the clues already?"

"Uh, well, we had an _idea_…" Sam rubbed the back of his neck.

"And that idea evolved around the possibility that I was the one to blame?" I scoffed. "Do you all not think?"

They continued to growl in response.

"Just spill what you have to say already."

"Like I said, there were three of them from what I saw, Maria, Warren, and Peter. I can't say I know too much about them," my expression grew dark and I paused. "I fear they're not only feeding on humans, but changing them as well. And not just one, but many at a time."

"What?!" Jacob shouted. "They're creating more of you bloodsuckers?"

"This is bad," Sam groaned. I nodded in agreement.

"That's all the information I have. They left nearly right when I met them."

"Well, I guess since this is all we got, we can go ahead and -"

"Wait," Jacob sniffed the air. "What is that?"

He turned his eyes to me and his body began to shake in anger once again. His muscles were twitching and he had formed his hands into fists at his sides.

"Why do you smell like her?" He first asked quietly.

"What?"

"Why do you smell like Bella?!" He shouted.

His shirt was beginning to rip from his chest. Traces of fur were evident in his skin.

"Don't you dare go near her. If you even touch her, I won't hesitate to rip you limb from limb," His voice was almost unrecognizable, his body was beginning to transform.

"Jacob?" Sam asked. He looked back towards me. "Uh, I think it'd be best if you…"

"Right." I nodded, turning around and running my way back to the house. As much I would have enjoyed wrestling with those mongrels, now was not the time.

**~x~**

I was waiting outside Bella's house the next morning. I promised her I would be back and I couldn't help but to arrive earlier. She was busy doing chores so I decided to wait. I watched her walk back and forth through the house. She was wearing a simple gray t-shirt and jeans and she looked absolutely stunning.

Then _he_ came.

I growled from my perched spot in the tree. _Jacob_.

I knew he knew I was there. He even had the nerve to look straight in my direction. I could tell by his thoughts that he planned on milking this for all it was worth, and did he ever.

He dared call Bella 'his favorite girl'. I wanted nothing more than to go down there myself and slam him through the wall. Bella was not his. She was _mine_.

I then blinked. Jealousy wasn't a feeling I was use to. Neither was the overpowering feeling to claim her as my own.

I would've smirked at Bella's obvious distaste for Jacob's affectionate words, but was too angry to do so.

He then hinted at the matters at hand, that she needed to watch out for herself and to be careful. He was sending a nice message, but she needn't worry. I would protect her with all I could if it ever came to it.

Then when they were saying goodbye Jacob lifted her off the ground in a hug. I growled protectively.

Bella lay like a limp rag doll in his arms, awkwardly patting his shoulder. I would laugh about that later.

Now Bella was standing in the middle of her hallway alone with a confusion expression on her face.

"Who exactly was that?" I asked her. I was angry. I already knew the answer to the question, but I wanted to hear it coming from her.

She jumped in the air surprised.

"Edward," she said with a wide grin. "You're here,"

I almost stopped myself then, her smile was radiant and contagious, but I since I couldn't read her mind, I needed to know.

"Bella, do I need to repeat myself?"

She stuttered and asked what I meant.

"Who was that _boy_ that just left?"

"That's just Jacob, it's nothing, he's just, we're just friends," she rambled off.

I was still annoyed with the dog. He knew. But I couldn't blame Bella. It was obvious to me her feelings didn't go further than friendship.

She then made her way upstairs where she sat on her bed and we actually talked, as in, for the first time, had a full length conversation. Though it wasn't my choice of discussion, listening to her voice was worth every second.

We talked aimlessly about my power, about how, in her words, _bizarre_ it was that this was all possible. She asked why about the things I had said to her in the past few days, wanting explanations for me commanding her to go inside without an explanation. My answer with her was short. I didn't want to scare her or worry her just yet. I didn't know how far I was willing to let this…_relationship?_ go.

She then asked once again if she would ever be able to see me in person. I sighed.

"I can't make you any promises, Bella," I told her softly.

"I see," she mumbled sadly.

She didn't understand. How could she?

"I'm dangerous, Bella," I mumbled more to myself than her.

"I don't believe that," she whispered. I shook my head.

"You don't realize the harm I could put you through, the pain I could inflict upon you," I said, suddenly angry. How could I make her realize that I wasn't safe?

Then I should just be honest with myself, I hadn't exactly let her in, told her any information about who or what I am. She didn't see or hear the thoughts that I had about her, the thoughts that involved me draining her of every last drop of blood.

"I'm a monster," I said softly.

Bella stood up in shock and shouted out my name.

"I should leave."

It was true. Leaving would be the best option. She would be better off without me.

"No, don't," she cried.

But would I be better off without her?

She asked me to come back to see her later that night and I agreed in doing so.

Maybe eventually I would have to leave her, but for now I was willing to take the risk.

* * *

**A/N: Omg, this chapter ended up being super long. I hope you all enjoyed getting a closer look at what's been happening outside of Bella's knowledge. So much! And Edward isn't as rough as Bella makes him out to be, aw.**

**Be sure to send me your thoughts and ideas! I love hearing from you all. **

**~Jamie**


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